Modular fuselage sections for vertical take off and landing distributed airframe aircraft

ABSTRACT

An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight includes a distributed airframe coupled to a modular fuselage. The modular fuselage has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a rotational axis of three or more propellers. The modular fuselage includes a rear module substantially disposed within a perimeter of the distributed airframe, a front module removably connected to the rear module and substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis. One or more engines or motors are disposed within or attached to the distributed airframe or fuselage. The three or more propellers are proximate to a leading edge of the distributed airframe, distributed along the distributed airframe, and operably connected to the one or more engines or motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/336,290, filed May 13, 2016 entitled “Distributed Propulsion”, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/336,432, filed May 13, 2016 entitled “Forward Folding Rotor Blades”, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/336,363, filed May 13, 2016 entitled “Vertical Take Off and Landing Closed Wing Aircraft”, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/336,420, filed May 13, 2016 entitled “Distributed Propulsion System for Vertical Take Off and Landing Closed Wing Aircraft”, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/336,465, filed May 13, 2016 entitled “Modular Fuselage Sections for Vertical Take Off and Landing Distributed Airframe Aircraft”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to the field of aircraft design, and more particularly, to modular fuselage sections for vertical take off and landing distributed airframe aircraft.

STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH

None.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with aircraft. With the popularity of unmanned drones, there has been resurgence in the use of “tail sitter” or “pogo” configurations. These configurations are generally very stable, but lack the long range and high speed of traditional aircraft. In addition, these configurations carry payload only within a center of the distributed airframe or suspended beneath the aircraft. Moreover, these aircraft are generally single purpose designs. As a result, there is a need for a distributed airframe aircraft having modular fuselage sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and stationary and horizontal flight includes a distributed airframe and a modular fuselage coupled to the distributed airframe. The modular fuselage has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a rotational axis of three or more propellers. The modular fuselage includes a rear module substantially disposed within a perimeter of the distributed airframe, a front module removably connected to the rear module and substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis. One or more engines or motors are disposed within or attached to the distributed airframe or fuselage. The three or more propellers are proximate to a leading edge of the distributed airframe, distributed along the distributed airframe, and operably connected to the one or more engines or motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the system itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the leftmost significant digit(s) in the reference numerals denote(s) the first figure in which the respective reference numerals appear, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a closed wing aircraft in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a front elevation view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1C is a rear elevation view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1D is a right side elevation view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1E is a left side elevation view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1F is a top plan view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 1G is a bottom plan view of the closed wing aircraft of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a modular fuselage in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the nose section or module pivoting to an open position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts the front section or module in a retracted position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 depicts the middle section or module in a retracted position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the system of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the present application to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

To facilitate the understanding of this invention, a number of terms are defined below. Terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a”, “an” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as outlined in the claims.

Illustrative embodiments of the present application are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

As used herein, reference may be made to the spatial relationships between various components and to the spatial orientation of various aspects of components as the devices are depicted in the attached drawings. However, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art after a complete reading of the present application, the devices, members, apparatuses, etc. described herein may be positioned in any desired orientation. Thus, the use of terms such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” or other like terms to describe a spatial relationship between various components or to describe the spatial orientation of aspects of such components should be understood to describe a relative relationship between the components or a spatial orientation of aspects of such components, respectively, as the device described herein may be oriented in any desired direction.

The modular fuselage sections described herein are not limited to the closed wing aircraft illustrated in the figures. The present invention is applicable to any vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having a distributed propulsion system in which a fuselage can be supported by the distributed propulsion system and airframe. As a result, the present invention is not limited to closed wing aircraft.

Now referring to FIGS. 1A-1G, various views of a closed wing aircraft 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention are shown. More specifically, FIG. 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is a front elevation view, FIG. 1C is a rear elevation view, FIG. 1D is right side elevation view, FIG. 1E is a left side elevation view, FIG. 1F is a top plan view, and FIG. 1G is a bottom plan view. This closed wing aircraft 100 features the following: 1) Tail sitter configuration provides for conversion to airplane mode without reconfiguration; 2) Circular wing optimizes propulsion, structural, aerodynamic, and center of gravity (CG) requirements; 3) Gearboxes and drive train are completely eliminated; 4) Rotor cyclic and collective controls are replaced by variable speed constant pitch propellers; and 5) Yaw in vertical flight and roll in hover mode are provided by trailing edge surfaces on the spokes connecting the closed wing to the fuselage.

The closed wing aircraft 100 utilizes the ring wing configuration to provide a symmetric matrix distribution of hydraulic or electric motor driven propellers to maximize controllability and provide safety in the even of a hydraulic or electric motor failure. The ring wing also reduces the effects of cross winds during takeoff and landing by minimizing the affected wing area and eliminating induced yaw. In airplane mode flight the ring wing allows the aircraft maintain any roll position in order to position sensors as required. For noise reduction the propellers within the ring provide an acoustic barrier. Structurally, the combination of distributed propulsion and the ring wing minimizes bending moments allowing for lighter and stiffer structure compared with distributed propulsion on straight wings. Engines or fuel/batteries can be housed in the base of the fuselage or at the intersection of the spokes to the ring wing for strength and minimization of weight. Landing gear is positioned at these points for similar reasons.

More specifically, the aircraft 100 can be manned or unmanned and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, stationary flight and forward flight. The aircraft 100 includes a closed wing 102, a fuselage 104 at least partially disposed within a perimeter of the closed wing 102, and one or more spokes 106 coupling the closed wing 102 to the fuselage 104. The closed wing 102 can be circular-shaped, oval-shaped, triangular-shaped, polygonal-shaped or any other shape suitable for the desired operational and aerodynamic requirements of the aircraft 100. In addition, the closed wing can be made up of a plurality of wing segments 102 a, 102 b, 102 c and wing-spoke intersections or junctions 108 a, 108 b, 108 c connected together. The cross-sectional profile of the closed wing 102 between the leading edge 110 and trailing edge 112 can be a symmetrical airfoil or any desirable aerodynamic shape. The number of spokes 106 can be determined, in part, by the shape and size of the closed wing 102, and the shape, size and payload of the fuselage 104. The cross-sectional profile of the spokes 106 between the leading edge 114 and the trailing edge 116 can be a symmetrical airfoil or any desirable aerodynamic shape. The closed wing 102, the fuselage 104 and the one or more spokes 106 are preferably symmetrically shaped to provide transition between vertical takeoff and landing, stationary flight and forward flight in any direction. However, non-symmetrical shapes can be used. As a result, the shape of the closed wing 102 and number of spokes 106 shown in the figures is only one example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The closed wing 102 may also include one or more doors or removable sections that provide access to the fuselage 104 when the aircraft 100 is in a landed position.

As will be described in more detail below, the fuselage 104 may include one or more sections or modules that have a longitudinal axis 116 substantially parallel to a rotational axis 118 of the propellers 120. The shape and length of the fuselage 104 will vary depending on the desired mission and flight characteristics. As a result, the shape and length of the fuselage 104 shown in the figures is only one example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For example, the fuselage 104 may include a rear section or module 122 substantially disposed at a center of the closed wing 102 that provides a fuselage-spoke intersection or junction, a middle section or module 124 connected to the rear section or module 122, a front section or module 126 connected to the middle module 124, and a nose section or module 128 connected to the front section or module 126. Sections or modules 122, 124, 126, 128 can be removably connected to one another, which makes the aircraft 100 configurable for any desired mission or function. In other words, the closed wing 102 and one or more spokes 106 provide a stable flight platform any desired payload. Moreover, the middle 124, front 126 and nose 128 sections or modules can detach, pivot, or retract at least partially into one or more of the other sections or modules for storage or transport of the aircraft 100. The rear 122, middle 124, front 126 and nose 128 sections or modules can be individually configured to be a cockpit module, a cabin module, an escape module, a payload module, a sensor module, a surveillance module, a power source module, a fuel module, or any combination thereof. Note that the nose section or module 128 may contain one or more parachutes.

The aircraft 100 also includes three or more landing gear, pads or skids 130 operably attached to the closed wing 102. Typically, the landing gear, pads or skids 130 will be disposed proximate to the wing-spoke intersections or junctions 108 a, 108 b, 108 c where there is more structural support. The landing gear, pads or skids 130 can be retractable.

One or more engines or motors 132 are disposed within or attached to the closed wing 102, fuselage 104 or spokes 106 in a distributed configuration. Three or more propellers 120 are proximate to the leading edge 110 of the closed wing 102 or the leading edge 114 of the one or more spokes 106, distributed along the closed wing 102 or the one or more spokes 106, and operably connected to the one or more engines or motors 132. In the embodiment shown, nine propellers 120 are disposed proximate to the closed wing 102, and one propeller 120 is disposed proximate to each spoke 106. The propellers 120 can be variable speed constant pitch propellers or other type of propeller. The distribution and number of propellers 120 are designed to provide stability during the failure of one or more propellers 120, or engines or motors 132.

In one embodiment, a source of hydraulic or electric power is disposed within or attached to the closed wing 102, fuselage 104 or spokes 106 and coupled to each of the of hydraulic or electric motors 132 disposed within or attached to the closed wing 102, fuselage 104 or spokes 106. The source of hydraulic or electric power provides sufficient energy density for the aircraft to attain and maintain operations of the aircraft 100. The source of hydraulic or electric power can be one or more batteries, a piston engine, or a turboshaft engine. A controller is coupled to each of the hydraulic or electric motors 132, and one or more processors are communicably coupled to each controller that control an operation and speed of the plurality of hydraulic or electric motors 132. Note that a single source of hydraulic or electric power can drive multiple hydraulic or electric motors 132. For example, a source of hydraulic or electric power can be located in the wing-spoke intersections or junctions 108 a, 108 b, 108 c or the rear fuselage 122 where there is more structural support. Hydraulic or electric power distribution systems can be used to transmit the power to the hydraulic or electric motors 132, which in turn drive the propellers 120. The hydraulic or electric motors 132 are selected based on at least one of aerodynamics, propulsive efficiency, structural efficiency, aeroelasticity, or weight of the aircraft. Moreover, the propellers 120, or the engines or motors 132 can be mounted to pivot to provide directional thrust. Similarly, additional thrusters can be disposed on the closed wing 102, fuselage 104 or spokes 106.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a modular fuselage 200 for an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight is shown in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The modular fuselage 200 connects to a distributed airframe 202. The distributed airframe can be a closed wing that is circular-shaped, oval-shaped, triangular-shaped, or polygonal-shaped. The modular fuselage 200 has a longitudinal axis 116 substantially parallel to a rotational axis of three or more propellers. The modular fuselage 200 includes a rear section or module 122 substantially disposed within a perimeter of the distributed airframe 202, and a front section or module 204 removably connected to the rear section or module 122 and substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis 116. One or more engines or motors are disposed within or attached to the distributed airframe 202 or fuselage. The three or more propellers are proximate to a leading edge of the distributed airframe 202, distributed along the distributed airframe 202, and operably connected to the one or more engines or motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight. As previously described, the rear 122, middle 124, front 126 and nose 128 sections or modules can be individually configured to be a cockpit module, a cabin module, an escape module, a payload module, a sensor module, a surveillance module, a power source module, a fuel module, or any combination thereof. Note that the size and shape of the modular fuselage 200 shown in the figures is for illustrative purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the modular fuselage 200 can be any size, shape or weight as determined by the specified flight and payload specifications for the aircraft.

As shown, the front section or module 204 can be disconnected and removed from the rear section or module 122 at interface 206 using known methods. Notably, the modular fuselage 200 may include other sections or modules. For example, a middle section or module 124 connected to the rear section or module 122, a front section or module 126 connected to the middle module 124, and a nose section or module 128 connected to the front section or module 126. Each of these sections or modules can be removable from the other sections at interfaces 208 and 210, respectively. Moreover, the sections or modules can pivot, or retract at least partially into an adjacent section or module for storage or transport of the aircraft. For example,

FIG. 3 depicts the nose section or module 128 pivoting to an open position 300 using a hinging mechanism 302 at interface 210. FIG. 4 depicts the front section or module 126 in a retracted position such that the middle section 124 releases at interface 208 and slides partially or entirely into the front section or module 126 as indicated by arrow 400. Similarly, FIG. 5 depicts the middle section or module 124 in a retracted position such that the middle section 124 releases at interface 206 and slides partially or entirely into the rear section or module 122 as indicated by arrow 500. In addition to storing and transporting the aircraft, retracting the various sections or modules as illustrated can selectively change the flight characteristics and/or center of gravity of the aircraft. In addition, moving one or more ballast within the sections or modules 122, 124, 126, 128, or transferring fuel between two or more fuel tanks disposed the sections or modules 122, 124, 126, 128 can selectively change the flight characteristics and/or center of gravity of the aircraft.

It will be understood that particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.

All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In embodiments of any of the compositions and methods provided herein, “comprising” may be replaced with “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of”. As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” requires the specified integer(s) or steps as well as those that do not materially affect the character or function of the claimed invention. As used herein, the term “consisting” is used to indicate the presence of the recited integer (e.g., a feature, an element, a characteristic, a property, a method/process step or a limitation) or group of integers (e.g., feature(s), element(s), characteristic(s), propertie(s), method/process steps or limitation(s)) only.

The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

As used herein, words of approximation such as, without limitation, “about”, “substantial” or “substantially” refers to a condition that when so modified is understood to not necessarily be absolute or perfect but would be considered close enough to those of ordinary skill in the art to warrant designating the condition as being present. The extent to which the description may vary will depend on how great a change can be instituted and still have one of ordinary skilled in the art recognize the modified feature as still having the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified feature. In general, but subject to the preceding discussion, a numerical value herein that is modified by a word of approximation such as “about” may vary from the stated value by at least ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 or 15% from the stated value.

All of the methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight, comprising: a distributed airframe; a modular fuselage coupled to the distributed airframe, the modular fuselage having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to a rotation axis of three or more propellers, the modular fuselage comprising a rear module substantially disposed within a perimeter of the distributed airframe, a front module removably connected to the rear module and substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis; one or more engines or motors disposed within or attached to the distributed airframe, fuselage; and the three or more propellers proximate to a leading edge of the distributed airframe, distributed along the distributed airframe, and operably connected to the one or more engines or motors to provide lift whenever the aircraft is in vertical takeoff and landing and stationary flight.
 2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein: the front module comprises a cockpit module, a cabin module, an escape module, a payload module, a sensor module or a surveillance module; and the rear module comprises a cabin module, a payload module, a sensor module, a surveillance module, a power source module or a fuel module.
 3. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising one or more middle modules removably connected between the front module and the rear module.
 4. The aircraft of claim 3, wherein the one or more middle modules comprise a cabin module, an escape module, a payload module, a sensor module, a surveillance module, a power source module or a fuel module.
 5. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the front module detaches, pivots, or retracts at least partially into the rear module for storage or transport of the aircraft.
 6. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the rear module is substantially disposed at a center of the distributed airframe.
 7. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is manned or unmanned.
 8. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the airframe comprises a closed wing that is circular-shaped, oval-shaped, triangular-shaped, or polygonal-shaped.
 9. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising one or more parachutes operably disposed within a nose of the front module.
 10. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising one or more ballast disposed within the front module or the rear module that selectively change a center of gravity of the aircraft by moving the one or more ballast within the fuselage.
 11. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising two or more fuel tanks disposed within the front module or the rear module that selectively change a center of gravity of the aircraft by transferring a fuel between the two or more fuel tanks.
 12. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein a size or weight of the front module is selected to provide a specified center of gravity for the aircraft.
 13. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising one or more flight control surfaces disposed on or extending from the fuselage.
 14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the one or more control surfaces comprise one or more air foils, winglets, elevators or ailerons.
 15. The aircraft of claim 14, wherein the one or more airfoils or winglets are retractable, removable, stowable or variable swept.
 16. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the distributed airframe further comprising one or more doors or removable sections that provide access to the fuselage when the aircraft is in a landed position.
 17. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the distributed airframe comprises a closed wing and the aircraft is further capable of forward flight, the closed wing provides lift whenever the craft is in forward flight, and one or more engines or motors provide thrust whenever the aircraft is in forward flight. 